Greetings! My name is Laura Ruttle, and I am currently working on my M.A. in History & Archives at Keene State College. I earned my B.A. in U.S. History from K.S.C. in 2013 and after graduation chose to make the Monadnock region of New Hampshire my home. Both as an undergraduate and graduate student my research focus has been Colonial/Revolutionary British North America with an interest in methodologies focusing on gender, reproduction, and race. I am excited to add studies in the Civil War era to my knowledge base and expand on my methodological interests through studies of this period. 

My research will focus on women’s participation as both patients and practitioners of female reproductive healthcare in the Civil War era. Women’s roles in healthcare changed significantly through the nineteenth century and the goal of evaluating this topic will be to determine what impact (if any) the Civil War had on this aspect of medical care.